In a functional test of a manufactured semiconductor integrated circuit is used a probe card as an electromechanical connection jig electrically connecting a device under test which is the semiconductor integrated circuit to a testing apparatus testing the device under test.
A conventional probe card includes a base plate and a probe assembly as a basic part attached to the base plate. The probe assembly includes an electric insulating substrate having two opposed surfaces, a plurality of probes supported on one surface of the substrate, and wires electrically connected to the respective probes and extending via holes provided in the substrate from one surface to the other surface of the substrate (refer to Patent Literature 1 described later).
In the functional test of the device under test, the device under test is arranged in the testing apparatus, and the probe card is attached to the testing apparatus. At this time, the respective wires of the probe assembly included in the probe card are electrically connected to the testing apparatus, and the respective probes of the probe assembly forcedly contact respective electrodes of the device under test at point end portions or probe tip portions thereof. By doing so, the testing apparatus and the device under test are electrically connected via the probes and the wires.
In the conventional probe card, the respective probes and the respective wires are connected by soldering, and a large part of soldering work depends on human hand. This brings about a problem in which the quality of connection portions between the respective probes and the respective wires is influenced by a worker's technical capabilities and experiences. Also, there is a problem in which the larger the number of electrodes in the device under test is, that is to say, the larger the number of probes corresponding to the number of electrodes is, the more time is required for the soldering work for connection between the probes and the wires, which causes a problem of inducing improper connection between the probes and the wires.